You probably haven't missed it: developments in society are currently going really fast. When you blink, new apps have been designed and business processes are set up even smarter and faster. In fact, it is becoming increasingly common to encounter a robot in a restaurant, hospital, or factory. This changes something very fundamental: the role of people in the workplace. In factories, too, it is now increasingly about thinking, adjusting and collaborating between people and technology. A production employee is therefore expected to have very different knowledge and skills than about ten years ago. And here comes reskilling look around the corner.
whereabouts upskilling is similar to the more old-fashioned term “refresher training”, goes with it reskilling precisely because existing employees learn completely new skills: in other words, retraining. Technological developments are moving very fast, especially in the workplace, to meet the increasingly higher customer requirements and to respond to an aging population. The introduction of a new type of machine, automation of processes or the use of data to control production in a smarter way. In addition to computer skills and technical insight, a production employee is also expected to have very different soft skills than before.
Problem solving, collaboration and communication are becoming increasingly important in order to keep up with the workplace.
There are various reasons to invest in reskilling. As in many other sectors, many factories today are struggling with staff shortages, a high workload and an aging workforce. At the same time, there is a growing need in production for employees who not only do executive work, but can also contribute ideas, analyses and adjustments: skills that used to be a lot less relevant in a factory. Instead of looking for gold at the end of the rainbow over and over again, it is often smarter to invest in the people who are already there. That saves you a lot of headaches when it comes to recruitment and selection. Investing in reskilling has another important additional advantage. The employee engagement shoot up. This is because employees who are able to keep developing often feel more valued and therefore more involved in their work and the company.
And that is reflected in motivation, loyalty and productivity.
The beauty is with reskilling of existing staff: the people its already in your home. They know the company, the processes and the culture. All they need is the right training to develop new skills and learn how to deal with new tasks and responsibilities.
Then we have a few tips for you!
1. Make the training practical
The average production worker is not an “air cyclist” who is used to spending hours with their nose in books or behind a monitor. New knowledge or skills should simply work in daily practice, that's what it's about. To ensure that the retraining program really meets the need, it is good to involve your employees in putting together a retraining program beforehand. Ask them what they're up against or happy about, what they're curious about, and how they think their work will change in the future. Such an inventory is of course possible face-to-face, but can also digitally are deported, with an online survey, employee satisfaction survey or (if it's a separate topic) a poll in WhatsApp, for example.
2. Personal development plan for real customisation
Reskilling must seamlessly match the development needs and opportunities of the individual employee. You do this not only by capitalising on the existing knowledge and experience, but also include culture, private circumstances and a favorite learning method when putting together the retraining program. Individual attention to the employee is therefore important fuel for keeping the development engine running. As soon as you notice that major changes are imminent in the field of production, technology or tasks, it is time to sit down 1-on-1 with employees to make a personal development plan. By zooming in closely into what someone really wants with their career, how knowledge comes in best (is it a reader, a viewer, a listener, or just a hands-on type?) and what is already present in terms of knowledge and experience will almost automatically result in personalised roadmap for getting from function A to function B. Very handy, for both the organisation and the employee themselves.
3. Modular makes flexible
It is smart to build reskilling from different modules. Each employee can then join and continue learning in the way that suits them best. It's easier to 'play' with the pace of lessons, but also in terms of language and knowledge levels and the way of offering. Try to think outside the box. For example, it is not always necessary (let alone practical) to all sit in a classroom for hours, but rather take advantage of the flexible options of e-learning. With that, you can have a reskilling-adapt the process not only very flexibly to technological or organisational developments, but also to individual learning needs. Time- and space-independent learning is also ideal for the irregular shifts that occur in most factories.
The use of a flipped classroom, where the employee goes through the course material beforehand at their own time and pace and then puts what they have learned into practice, also fits perfectly with the personal retraining idea.
4. Step by step: microlearning
Don't get too fast right away. Most people are creatures of habit and need some time to get used to a new range of tasks, let alone a completely different job. Get it reskill so step by step and make use of the power of repetition. For example, we are big fans of so-called microlearnings: small chunks of information that you regularly offer in attractive packaging (see next tip). Offer smaller knowledge snacks in many ways at different times: during a work meeting, in mailings, an instructional video in the workplace or a flyer on the message board in the canteen. This variety prevents the information from becoming “white noise” that is no longer noticed.
5. Make it fun!
Natural is reskilling serious business. But that doesn't mean it has to be boring! If you surprise someone with your approach, you are sure to attract attention and prevent the other person from falling asleep. For example, by incorporating a funny situation into the training from time to time, letting a colleague play in an instructional video, or using gamification the information suddenly becomes a lot more fun and, more importantly, easier to remember. Another great trigger is giving a reward when completing a course or training. No, that does not necessarily have to be in the form of extra euros. One old school certificate (absolutely beautiful: printed out in a frame!) brings all that extra sense of reward into a brain that makes someone want to continue gaining knowledge.
6. Social learning
Make use of social learning: based on interaction and collaboration, people learn most effectively. You can use this science in various ways. For example, put a mentor in order to transfer knowledge personally, organise a “lunch and learn”, where colleagues informally update each other during the lunch break and provide a chat opportunity during e-learning so that employees can exchange their experiences.
7. Learning culture as part of your company culture
Reskilling is not a one-off action, but a way of looking at work and development. Especially in an environment that changes rapidly — such as production — it is important to take learning for granted and make it part of the company culture. That starts with properly facilitating your employees in the field of retraining and refresher courses. Offer them the right tools and make sure you get and keep them in the right mindset.
Refresh the content of your knowledge platform regularly with the latest trends and developments in the industry, and lower the learning threshold by offering sufficient study time and attractive teaching materials.
Could you use some extra inspiration when it comes to retraining? No problem, because training and learning is our core business! Experience the power of Pluvo for yourself! Click here for a demo or call +31 (20) 560 5001.
As an educational expert specialising in online learning, I have been writing blogs for Pluvo for 5 years. My focus is on powerful learning solutions for organisations. Universal Design for Learning and inclusive learning are my passion; I believe that education should be accessible and fun for everyone.
I've been combining my 35 years of HR experience with copywriting for over 15 years. And even then, I learn new things over and over again. That's what makes writing blogs for Pluvo so incredibly interesting!
